Friday, October 20, 2006

From Wiki: Etymology: The word "crap" is old in the English language, one of a group of nouns applied to discarded cast offs, like "residue from renderings" (1490s) or in Shropshire, "dregs of beer or ale", meanings probably extended from Middle Englishcrappe "chaff, or grain that has been trodden underfoot in a barn" (c. 1440), deriving ultimately from Late Latincrappa, "chaff".

The word fell out of use in Britain by the 1600s, but remained prevalent in the North American colonies which would eventually become the United States. The meaning "to defecate" was recorded in the U.S. since 1846 (according to Oxford and Merriam-Webster), but the word did not hold this meaning at all in Victorian England.

The connection to Thomas Crapper is conjectured by Hart-Davis to be an unfortunate coincidence of his surname. The occupational name Crapper is a variant spelling of Cropper. In the US, the word crapper is a dysphemism for "toilet". The term first appeared in print in the 1930s. It has been suggested that US soldiers stationed in England during World War I (some of whom had little experience with indoor plumbing) saw many toilets printed with "T. Crapper" in the glaze and brought the word home as a synonym for "toilet" — a sort of back-formation from "crap." This suggestion, however, overlooks the fact that "crapper" was a well-established word long before that time.

Yet another purported explanation is that Thomas Crapper's flush toilet advertising was so widespread, and the business name "T. Crapper & Sons, Chelsea," was seen on so many toilets, that "crapper" became a synonym for "toilet" and people simply assumed that he was the inventor.

Many people use the word "dung" rather than crap these days. They use it to hide the slang word and subsitute it for another word. Dung is a more understanding subsitute word for crap because the definition of dung is manure or animal droppings.

From Online Etymology Dictionary: "defecate" 1846 (v.), 1898 (n.), from one of a cluster of words generally applied to things cast off or discarded (e.g. "weeds growing among corn" (1425), "residue from renderings" (1490s), 18c. underworld slang for "money," and in Shropshire, "dregs of beer or ale"), all probably from M.E. crappe "grain that was trodden underfoot in a barn, chaff" (c.1440), from M.Fr. crape "siftings," from O.Fr. crappe, from M.L. crappa, crapinum "chaff." Sense of "rubbish, nonsense" also first recorded 1898. Despite folk etymology insistence, not from Thomas Crapper (1837-1910) who did, however, in 1882 invent the ball and suction device [British Patent # 4,990] found in modern toilets. The name Crapper is a northern form of Cropper (attested from 1221), an occupational surname, obviously, but the exact reference is unclear.

Bottom (teehee) line: Crap and crapper have two different origins, but have become related words over time.

From Wiki: Etymology: The word "crap" is old in the English language, one of a group of nouns applied to discarded cast offs, like "residue from renderings" (1490s) or in Shropshire, "dregs of beer or ale", meanings probably extended from Middle Englishcrappe "chaff, or grain that has been trodden underfoot in a barn" (c. 1440), deriving ultimately from Late Latincrappa, "chaff".

The word fell out of use in Britain by the 1600s, but remained prevalent in the North American colonies which would eventually become the United States. The meaning "to defecate" was recorded in the U.S. since 1846 (according to Oxford and Merriam-Webster), but the word did not hold this meaning at all in Victorian England.

The connection to Thomas Crapper is conjectured by Hart-Davis to be an unfortunate coincidence of his surname. The occupational name Crapper is a variant spelling of Cropper. In the US, the word crapper is a dysphemism for "toilet". The term first appeared in print in the 1930s. It has been suggested that US soldiers stationed in England during World War I (some of whom had little experience with indoor plumbing) saw many toilets printed with "T. Crapper" in the glaze and brought the word home as a synonym for "toilet" — a sort of back-formation from "crap." This suggestion, however, overlooks the fact that "crapper" was a well-established word long before that time.

Yet another purported explanation is that Thomas Crapper's flush toilet advertising was so widespread, and the business name "T. Crapper & Sons, Chelsea," was seen on so many toilets, that "crapper" became a synonym for "toilet" and people simply assumed that he was the inventor.

Many people use the word "dung" rather than crap these days. They use it to hide the slang word and subsitute it for another word. Dung is a more understanding subsitute word for crap because the definition of dung is manure or animal droppings.

From Online Etymology Dictionary: "defecate" 1846 (v.), 1898 (n.), from one of a cluster of words generally applied to things cast off or discarded (e.g. "weeds growing among corn" (1425), "residue from renderings" (1490s), 18c. underworld slang for "money," and in Shropshire, "dregs of beer or ale"), all probably from M.E. crappe "grain that was trodden underfoot in a barn, chaff" (c.1440), from M.Fr. crape "siftings," from O.Fr. crappe, from M.L. crappa, crapinum "chaff." Sense of "rubbish, nonsense" also first recorded 1898. Despite folk etymology insistence, not from Thomas Crapper (1837-1910) who did, however, in 1882 invent the ball and suction device [British Patent # 4,990] found in modern toilets. The name Crapper is a northern form of Cropper (attested from 1221), an occupational surname, obviously, but the exact reference is unclear.

Bottom (teehee) line: Crap and crapper have two different origins, but have become related words over time.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

From Wiki: He/She Loves Me, He/She Loves Me Not is a game in which one person (often a child) seeks to determine whether the object of his or her affection returns that affection or not. It is often spoken while plucking the petals of a flower (especially a daisy) one by one, with the last petal giving the "answer" to whether he or she loves you. It is therefore dependent on whether the flower has an even or odd number of petals. It is traditionally performed by a person infatuated with another, and actually seeking to reaffirm a pre-existing belief.The full expression of "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not..." in French is: Il / elle m'aime un peu, beaucoup, passionnément, à la folie, pas du tout (He/she loves me a little, a lot, passionately, madly, not at all). This makes the potential outcomes more numerous.

Origins of a Phrase: Unknown exactly, but Goethe's Faust, published in 1808, has the following scene in it:(translation from the German:)MARGARET (half aloud): He loves me—loves me not.FAUST: Sweet angel, with thy face of heavenly bliss!MARGARET (continues): He loves me—not—he loves me-not—(Plucking off the last leaf with fond joy.) He loves me!"

Also:"American Children's Folklore" by Simon J. Bronner (August House Inc., Little Rock, 1988) under "Beliefs and Customs" says:"To find out how a certain person feels about you, repeat the phrase "He loves me, he loves me not" as you pluck the petals of a daisy. If you take the gold center from the daisy and throw it up in the air, the number of pieces that fall on the back of your hand as you hold it out tells the number of children that you will have."

The FTD site online (2/13/00) says loves me/loves me not is a Victorian custom and elaborates further. On the daisy. Origin & History The daisy derived its English name from the Anglo-Saxon term daes eage, or "day's eye," referring to the way this flower opens and closes with the sun.

The daisy has a facinating history, but this just came to mind, and I thought I'd research it a little.... I also suggest Le Language des Fleurs "The Language of Flowers," published in 1818.

From Wiki: He/She Loves Me, He/She Loves Me Not is a game in which one person (often a child) seeks to determine whether the object of his or her affection returns that affection or not. It is often spoken while plucking the petals of a flower (especially a daisy) one by one, with the last petal giving the "answer" to whether he or she loves you. It is therefore dependent on whether the flower has an even or odd number of petals. It is traditionally performed by a person infatuated with another, and actually seeking to reaffirm a pre-existing belief.The full expression of "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not..." in French is: Il / elle m'aime un peu, beaucoup, passionnément, à la folie, pas du tout (He/she loves me a little, a lot, passionately, madly, not at all). This makes the potential outcomes more numerous.

Origins of a Phrase: Unknown exactly, but Goethe's Faust, published in 1808, has the following scene in it:(translation from the German:)MARGARET (half aloud): He loves me—loves me not.FAUST: Sweet angel, with thy face of heavenly bliss!MARGARET (continues): He loves me—not—he loves me-not—(Plucking off the last leaf with fond joy.) He loves me!"

Also:"American Children's Folklore" by Simon J. Bronner (August House Inc., Little Rock, 1988) under "Beliefs and Customs" says:"To find out how a certain person feels about you, repeat the phrase "He loves me, he loves me not" as you pluck the petals of a daisy. If you take the gold center from the daisy and throw it up in the air, the number of pieces that fall on the back of your hand as you hold it out tells the number of children that you will have."

The FTD site online (2/13/00) says loves me/loves me not is a Victorian custom and elaborates further. On the daisy. Origin & History The daisy derived its English name from the Anglo-Saxon term daes eage, or "day's eye," referring to the way this flower opens and closes with the sun.

The daisy has a facinating history, but this just came to mind, and I thought I'd research it a little.... I also suggest Le Language des Fleurs "The Language of Flowers," published in 1818.